Mykolaivska oblast, in the south of Ukraine, has suffered significant damage and attacks since the full-scale Russian invasion of February 2022. Russian forces briefly occupied some parts of the oblast, and many of the urban areas have been battered by shelling. Although Russian forces have subsequently been pushed back, the damage remains and creates challenges for the people who remain living and working in the region.
In the midst of the difficult conditions of war, the Mishkovo-Pohorilove Medical Center of Primary Medical and Sanitary Care has continued its operations. This centre comprises 14 general practices, including family-medicine ambulatories and 20 health centres. It serves a population of four communities: Mishkovo- Pohorilove, Pervomaiske, Shevchenkove and Voskresenske.
The ambulatory for general practice and family medicine in the village of Bilozerka was destroyed in a Russian attack. The other ambulatories and healthcare centres also suffered partial damage, leaving them in a state of disrepair. Despite these mentally and physically challenging circumstances, the healthcare providers continue to do everything possible to provide high-quality and timely care for the people of the region.
With funding from the European Union, International Medical Corps deployed two mobile medical units (MMUs) to the Mishkovo-Pohorilove area. The goal of the MMUs was to provide medical assistance to those villages with reduced access to healthcare services due to the damage to their health facilities.
Each MMU consists of two general practitioners and two nurses. The doctors examine patients and write prescriptions while the nurses assist the doctors and prescribe medication. The medical staff focuses on assisting children and adults with various diseases, with a particular focus on preventing and stabilizing chronic conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and asthma.
The MMU visits to these now-isolated communities bridges the healthcare-access gap and enables people to receive the treatment and care they need. In particular, interventions like this make it easier to vaccinate people in the villages, thus improving the overall vaccine coverage of the region.
The region’s elderly population has benefitted significantly from the deployment of the MMUs. Older people are disproportionately affected by the compromised healthcare infrastructure and are at higher risk of non- communicable diseases and chronic conditions. Thanks to the MMUs, this at-risk group is now better served by the region’s healthcare services, and they now have improved access to care and medication.
